Sinner takes charge, keys keeps old promise

The nature of the Italian’s triumph over Zverev strengthened the belief that Sinner is now the men’s game’s pre-eminent force.
Jannik Sinner of Italy holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aloft after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.
Jannik Sinner of Italy holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aloft after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Photo | AP)
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A Grand Slam final is not usually this one-sided. The blue-floored Rod Laver arena in Melbourne promised a pulsating clash—the No 1 versus the No 2. But on court, the difference of class belied the close ranking. Jannik Sinner hardly played a wrong shot the whole night. His opponent Alexander Zverev aptly summed things up: “[Sinner] does everything better than me.” Hence the top seed defended his Slam without a flutter.

The nature of the Italian’s triumph over the German strengthened the belief that Sinner is now the men’s game’s pre-eminent force. During his thrilling takedown of Carlos Alcaraz in their quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic showed he still has the hunger, but his body has started increasingly rebelling against his will. Time, after all, is no friend of mortals. This could well be the Serb’s last season on the top-level tour.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Sinner, who has now won his last three hard-court majors, has stolen a march over Alcaraz in this new era’s top rivalry. The Spaniard is younger and has won more Slams, but the Italian seems locked in for success now. But then, even while heading to Melbourne, Sinner knew his bigger battle would be at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April, when the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal on a doping charge will be heard. If the appeal fails, Sinner may be the top seed in Paris, where Alcaraz is the defending champion.

If the men’s result was predictable, the women’s was somewhat surprising. Madison Keys, a popular player who had last reached a Slam final at the US Open in 2017, finally fulfilled a long-proclaimed prophecy when she bested Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles final. Keys was marked for greatness as soon as she won her maiden Women’s Tennis Association tour match when she was only 15. Since then, though, the wins have not been as regular. There have been deep tournament runs, but the one big Slam title continued to elude her. Not anymore. Hopefully, the world will get to see more of Keys in the future. As with men’s tennis, the era’s top order in the women’s game is also coming into sharper focus. Another age of great rivalries is upon us.

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